Lindsey Graham, R.I.P.

Last Saturday evening we lost a solid, hardworking Senator,

a staunch conservative, and a true patriot; U.S. Senator 

Lindsey Graham (R-SC) suddenly passed away. 

Just two days after his 71st birthday and a day after returning 

from an official an official visit to Kiev, Ukraine, Graham 

died from what was reported as a "brief and sudden illness"

in his home. Graham's colleagues on both sides of the aisle in 

the Senate respected and admired him greatly for, among other

things, reaching and working across party lines on many issues,

including assisting Afghan refugees. Graham was a senator who

understood the United States' role in the world.

Graham was born in Central, South Carolina, the son of parents 

who operated a restaurant, a liquor store, and a pool hall. He was

the first member of his family to attend college, where he joined 

the Reserve Officer Training Corps. When Graham was twenty 

his parents died, and he took over the upbringing of his much 

younger sister Darline, who was 13 at the time. The service 

allowed Graham to attend the University of South Carolina

in Columbia so he could be Darline's legal guardian.

By the by, Darline has been appointed by South Carolina's

governor to serve the remainder of her brother's senate term.

And she's running for a full term in that senate seat!

Graham graduated with a BA in psychology in 1977, earning a

Juris Doctor from his university's law school in 1981.

Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the 

JAG Corps (Judge Advocate General Corps) in the United

States Air Force in 1982 and began active duty straightaway.

Graham worked his way up to the rank of Colonel, serving 

in the Air National Guard and later the Air Force Reserve.

In 2014 he received a Bronze Star for meritorious service as

a senior legal adviser to the Air Force in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His legal training and experience made him a good choice to be

on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

A neoconservative, Graham was derisively called a "moderate

Republican" by the Tea Party. He called himself a "fairly conser-

vative Republican" and a "Reagan Republican" with "a twang of

moderation" and an "independent streak". But just when 

conservatives in the GOP were ready to write Graham off as a

RINO (Republican in Name Only) he would assert his conservative

leanings on a particular issue and quell the harsh criticism aimed at 

him --- his staunchly pro-life stance on abortion being one such 

instance, where he sponsored the Pain-Capable Unborn Child 

Protection Act, which bans abortion after 20 weeks of gestation

on a nation-wide basis, making exceptions to save the life of the 

mother, pregnancy through rape or incest. 

Graham also received awards from national animal protection

organizations for, among other things, supporting the end of the 

slaughter of horses, particularly that done for commercial purposes.

He also worked to ban shipping horses to slaughter facilities in 

other countries. 

Graham always supported the maintenance of the United States' 

military capabilities in order for our country to be able to defend

herself as well as to fulfill its responsibilities as an ally to nations,

especially those under threat from hostile neighboring countries

i.e. Israel and the existential threats from Iran and various terrorist

groups allied with Iran. 

Sen. Graham worked to preserve the United States' exceptionalism

in every way it is exceptional. His work is now finished, and he 

is rightfully honored as a faithful public servant and advocate for 

the well-being of our country and we, her people. Requiescat in pace,

Senator. Thank you for all you have done.

MEM

Unusual Justice

Well, former Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge 

Hannah Dugan finally received her sentence from the

Federal Court. To recap, Dugan was found guilty of 

one felony count for obstructing federal immigration

agents. After a jury found her guilty in December 2025,

she resigned from the bench. The charges stemmed 

from an April 2005 incident where the erstwhile judge

had a confrontation with Immigration and Customs

Enforcement (ICE) agents who were waiting to arrest

a defendant outside Dugan's courtroom, then directed 

the individual and his lawyer out of a private exit in

the jury room, a room only jurors, bailiffs, and the judge

are permitted to be in at any and all times in order to 

help the defendant to avoid capture. 

Dugan's defense team attempted to overturn the guilty

verdict by arguing that ICE proceedings are not covered

by the relevant federal obstruction statutes, but U.S. 

District Judge Lynn Adelman, one of the most liberal

federal judges in the country, officially denied the motion.

Under a barrage of threats of impeachment from Republican

legislators, Dugan resigned from the bench on the Milwaukee

County Circuit court in January 2026. Dugan faced a maximum

sentence of five years in prison. However, because she has no 

prior criminal history, her legal team requested a sentence of

time served, as she was already placed in federal custody for 

a brief time. Team Dugan also cited the severe professional and 

personal consequences that Dugan already endured. 

Federal prosecutors have suggested, though, that the legal guide-

lines indicated a prison sentence of 15 to 21 months.

Ah, but lo and behold! The former county judge was 

sentenced to receiving a $5,000 fine, no time behind bars,

and no probation. 

That's it.

That's all. 

Judge Adelman said that despite federal sentencing guidelines

calling for incarceration, "For several reasons, prison is not 

necessary to satisfy the statutory purposes for sentencing,"

making this statement from the bench. But again, let's refer 

to the charges that brought the former Judge Dugan to 

Federal Court. 

The former judge attempted to obstruct a pending proceeding

before the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS),

the defendant being an alien here illegally to begin with, then 

being charged with assault and battery on two people as well.

If this criminal were to have gotten away with fleeing ICE and the 

FBI, who knows what mayhem he may have committed against

innocent law-abiding citizens? Or whatever other crimes against

anyone? 

Judge Dugan was never a supporter of President Trump's immigration

reform, resulting in tighter laws regarding entering our country 

illegally, and she was thought to have acted in the manner which she 

did being out of sorts with Trump's reforms. Thankfully agents were

able to capture and arrest the fleeing thug in front of moving traffic.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Adelman found that Dugan had

abused her position as an official holding public trust, and that 

the conviction in this case makes the point "affirm(ing) that no one 

is above the law," 

But with the astonishingly light sentence, and the strong likelihood 

of some big-monied lefty or a left-wing political organization coming

forth to pay Dugan's fine, and Dugan not even receiving parole let alone

a prison sentence, how is the conviction, then, being paired with the 

super-light sentence meted out, affirming Judge Adelman's statement?

And here's food for thought: what if the case was about, say, one of 

the participants in the January 6, 2021 ruckus at the Capitol, and the

judge hearing the case did for the defendant(s) what Dugan did for the 

defendant in the case she was going to hear? And the judge brought up 

on the same charges? Would the judge hearing the case be anywhere 

as lenient in sentencing the defendant(s)? Furthermore, what if the

presiding judge was a strong left-winger like Judge Adelman?

The Peasant thinks it would be a different story altogether, wouldn't 

you, my sharp readers? Just wait 'til you get two paragraphs further 

down!

This episode put the law enforcement agents and the public at risk.

Doesn't this merit a stronger sentence for Judge Dugan? 

As it stands, Hannah Dugan can no longer be a judge in any court

because of her record as a convicted felon. But she says that she will

look for a different job in public service. Methinks the ex-judge has

a misbegotten notion of what a public servant and public service is.

A person in that position would not take any action which would place

law enforcement people and the public at large in peril, while making

it all the more difficult for the former to function. 

Finally, there is the ol' Liberal Double Standard: the law is not applied 

equally and fairly to people of certain political persuasions in too many

cases. Here, local conservative talk show host Vicki McKenna said on

her show when the sentence came down that Dugan was given the 

ridiculously light sentence by a judge with a left-bent just like her

because, well, she's a member of The Club, as McKenna terms it. 

The Club is basically the Liberal Establishment, and its members 

look after each other, doing things like running interference for them

and covering for them. And how do they treat conservatives? 

They clobber them! They throw the book at them! They apply

a completely different standard! And if the public is adversely affected,

who cares? They're just a bunch of peasants after all!

Folks, it's time to give Lady Justice back her scales of Justice minus the

imbalancing weight attached to them. And it's long past time we elected

truly impartial judges to helm our courts, as well as government 

officials who will nominate other such judges. Let's close The Club 

for good!

MEM

Race Preferences Aren't Preferred So Much Anymore

The age of miracles has not yet passed! The U.S. Supreme Court's

2023 ruling against racial preferences is becoming a landmark 

ruling carrying immense consequences for many people.

On June 18 the infamously left-wing Wisconsin Supreme Court

ruled unanimously (!) that a state program that issued scholarships

based on race violates the U.S. Constitution, and the lefties are 

climbing the walls and crossing the ceilings all over the country.

I saw in the Wall Street Journal (weekend 6/20-6/21) opinion section

that Justice Annette Ziegler wrote the majority opinion for the court

that the Constitution requires "that every person 'must be treated

based on his or her experiences as an individual --- not on the basis 

of race,'" and that the state cannot "use as a factor in affording 

educational opportunities among its citizens."

The liberal majority on my home state's top court are still suffering

a combination of shock, horror, and conniptions in reaction to the 

surprise ruling. This case was brought by the Wisconsin Institute 

for Law and Liberty (WILL) against a 1985 Wisconsin law that

reserved need-based scholarships via a grant program for "Black

American," "American Indian," "Hispanic", and a sprinkling of 

Southeast Asian undergraduate students in Wisconsin's private 

and technical colleges. 

Earlier this month Iowa's supreme court ruled that a scholarship 

program reserved for black University of Iowa students studying 

physical sciences was "Impracticable" under the SFFA (Students 

For Fair Admissions vs. Harvard College) ruling (2023). Given this 

trend, it would behoove state governments to repeal these grant

programs and end the discrimination brought about by them or 

else the courts will. Either way, this type of discrimination will 

soon be gone and good riddance.

MEM

Happy Semisesquicentennial (250th Birthday) USA!

Our great and grand country has made a lot of progress,

from starting out as thirteen colonies under the English

crown, fighting their better-armed and more battle-tested

parent from across the sea, entering a war that they were

not supposed to win, then starting a streak of accomplish-

ments --- none of which they were supposed to make 

either --- to become a sovereign, independent nation in 

its own right; a great military power, a financial giant

(Creating a free market to replace mercantilism, also

being at one time the world's largest creditor, among 

other things), a leader in technology, also in medicine,

in magnanimity and generosity (our country helped its 

defeated enemies to rebuild their countries after both  

world wars; the Marshall Plan famously rebuilt much

of Europe, both enemy and allied nations in the wake

of WWII), and in doing all these things becoming the

beacon of hope, freedom, and possibility to the world. 

And let's not forget putting astronauts on the moon

before anyone else!

This partial list of accomplishments demonstrate the 

uniqueness and the exceptionalism of our United States,

all built upon a foundation of the American "Can do!"

spirit. Our country has beaten the odds and the naysayers

many, many times to go on to make these feats happen.

May the United States of America always be the place

to turn to in times of difficulty, to emulate as a model 

of what a nation can be, and a nation of which we 

Americans can be proud and to joyfully proclaim our 

gratitude for all that we are, all that we have, and all

that we have been blessed with throughout our 250 years

and counting! 

The Peasant wishes to give his birthday greetings and 

thanks for God's continued blessings to our nation, and 

for her to have another 250 years in this world! Glory,  

love and honor from a most grateful Peasant With His 

Pitchfork!

MEM

And the First-Ever Trillionaire is ... Elon Musk!

It has finally come to pass; the first trillionaire in the history 

of the world has just been recognized and acknowledged. 

It was not that many years ago that it was a very big deal 

when a millionaire achieved his billionaire milestone,

and not many more years earlier when someone became a

millionaire was that a reason to stop the presses. But at long 

last someone has achieved a sensational, astounding, 

earth-shaking, mind-boggling feat that many for years thought

was both out of reach and out of the realm of possibility:

billionaire and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk ascended to the 

peak on June 12.

Musk became the history-maker on the strength of the IPO

of his company, SpaceX, which began trading on the NASDAQ

at $150 per share, giving the firm an almost $2 trillion market 

cap. Forbes Magazine, which has been the chronicler of the rise

and fall of fortunes across generations of families, industries, 

and nations, estimates that the IPO raised Musk's fortune to

$1.1 trillion, just after his new worth rose to $982 billion on

Thursday June 11 when SpaceX priced the IPO at $135 per share,

thus declaring Musk the world's first trillionaire. 

Most of the Musk fortune is "on paper", which is to say that said 

worth is not easily liquid, able to convert into cash. Musk owns

4.8 billion shares of SpaceX, presently worth $715 billion, and 

has another 350 million stock options worth $50 billion which 

gives him a 38% stake in the company.

Musk made his debut on Forbes' yearly World's Billionaires list 

in 2012, Musk then having an estimated $2 billion fortune. 

From this mark, showing Musk to be the 634th-richest person 

in the world, he took a mere nine years to rocket to the top spot

as the world's wealthiest person as Tesla's shares shot upward,

Tesla being Musk's automobile manufacturing company.

Such a feat can only happen in a free market economy. In this kind

of economy there are less fetters applied by the state in the forms of 

regulations and taxes and a greater understanding of how these things

factor into the ability of the economy to grow and create careers with

many job opportunities for people willing to learn and apply new skills

and to work at jobs which with said requirements will match the very

skills learned. 

As for the employees of Elon Musk, his building his incredible 

gigantic business holdings, made possible only by virtue 

of his revenue and profits generated in the process has made many 

of them wealthy themselves; some were made millionaires and 

a few were made billionaires. And the demand for the products 

Elon Musk's businesses supply to his customers make a connection

which benefits both customers and Musk's companies; the customers 

get high-quality products, i.e Tesla automobiles, while Musk and his

employees get a steadily-growing flow of revenue from which they

derive and receive considerable income as their reward for providing

aforementioned high-quality products to a public that desires them.

This is how the free market works, and why it is superior to any and 

all other markets in the world.

In a socialist economy, in fascist economies and in communist 

economies people cannot go into business for themselves and build

large and extremely profitable companies like Elon Musk built.

Any and all businesses would be subjected to stringent regulations 

and exorbitant taxation, the former to bring the entrepreneurs'  

businesses under greater control of the state while the latter siphons 

great sums of revenue into the coffers of the government. If any of 

the business owners don't pay up, or if they complain about the 

crushing regulations and taxes imposed on them, the state grabs their 

businesses and imprisons their owners; in communist-run countries  

they simply grab the businesses anyway, as private ownership and 

enterprise is absolutely forbidden. And the only ones in these woeful

places with any significant money are the government elites, 

including a few apparatchiks (high-ranking officials and senior 

bureaucrats in the government). About quality of products made

(whenever any are made at all), forget it. Slipshod-made junk,

snapped up by a public not given any meaningful choices in 

the marketplaces but lots of said junk and lots more empty store 

shelves.

In summation, free market (or capitalist) economies encourage 

creation; in the other kinds of economies expropriating money and 

property is the order of the day --- every day. The former builds; 

the latter destroys. And Elon Musk is definitely a builder.

Congratulations Mr. Musk! You are a business and financial pioneer

soon to have many following you to the financial heights once

thought impossible to reach. Only in a free market is this possible!

Capitalism has made more people financially secure and more,

having made a middle-class and a wealthy class, with people in the

lower levels of financial status able to thus climb up to the middle-

class and those in the middle-class (and some from the lower classes)

able to reach the wealthy class and to stretch that category upward.

Let's hear it for Elon Musk and for economic freedom!

MEM

The Confiscators Are Digging In

More Democrats are getting behind the confiscation of wealth,

and Senator Elizabeth Warren must be dancing in the streets of

Washington --- especially with the news that California wants a 

piece of the action too. The very left-leaning state is preparing 

to vote in November on whether to expropriate (snatch, actually)

5% of the state's billionaires' assets, supposedly a one-time only

measure as federal transfers dissolve (so California's Democrats

say; take their word with a grain of salt!). The same story is of

course in motion in Congress, with Sen. Warren (D-MA) 

leading the charge with her plan to stick a 2% tax on all house-

hold wealth above $50 million and a 1% surtax on fortunes 

over $1 billion. These awful ideas are to fund the many entitle-

ment programs that California has to offer which the state's 

taxpayers are vehemently against being made to pay for.

It's easier to sell these schemes when the check for all this

is presented to the wealthy Californians; that's why so many

of them have packed up and left California and many more 

are soon to follow.

It must be noted, however, that confiscating billionaires' 

money is not at all a serious financial plan; wealth taxes 

have been tried in Europe and were a bust, because they 

were proven costly and unworkable. The U.S. Constitution

will be a bulwark to block their implementation here in our 

country, much to the chagrin of Sen. Warren and her chums.

Meanwhile, not only wealthy people are fleeing California,

but middle-class folk are following suit. California has 

already lost one congressional district because of the 

unrelenting taxation driving Californians out; this is 

something that the Golden State has never before experienced.

At the rate things are going, California will lose many more 

people and some more districts, and the left-wing confiscators' 

zeal will fade along with California's tax base when they 

wonder how and why this happened.

MEM

Kimmel Kicks the Working Class

President Trump recently nominated U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin

(R-OK) to replace the fired Kristi Noem to be the secretary of the

Department of Homeland Security, and Mullin was confirmed 

forthwith. Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, helming a 

failing show falling ratings and all, snidely remarked that 

"We have a plumber now protecting us from terrorism." 

Mullin's background features his having built a successful 

plumbing business. This illustrates his skill, leadership, and good

sense, three necessary things a good manager of a government 

bureaucracy needs to have any chance for success. However, 

this makes no never-mind to the snarky, snobbish, and hypocritical

fifth-rate comic and ardent left-winger Kimmel; like much of the

Left these days, Kimmel has little if any regard for the roll-up-one's

-sleeves and pitch in blue collar workers. He seems to have a cold 

contempt for these hard-working folks. 

Kimmel's background? A college dropout who makes his living 

firing political darts at conservatives, daring to call it comedy.

But he thinks he's superior to Mullin and others like him.

Many Americans make a good, honest, respectable living repairing

and/or building things for people and are worthy of respect and 

admiration. Your appreciative Peasant isn't just saying this to grab 

some glory for himself, as I once had a business of my own as a

handyman for hire. People across the country are fed up with the

Jimmy Kimmels in entertainment putting them down for being 

what they are and are showing their discontent and righteous 

anger by watching other offerings on TV or perhaps engaging 

in other activities altogether, and this is reflected in Kimmel's

ratings dwindling down to nothing.

Kimmel doesn't deserve any better, and neither do others like him.

MEM

Trump Whittles Away at Government

President Trump ran for the presidency, promising among

other things a sharp reduction in the federal government 

in both size and reach. In his second term he has succeeded

beyond the expectations of many.

The federal government now has fewer employees than at 

any time since 1966, when Lyndon Johnson grew the

bureaucracy to build his "Great Society". Over 150,000 

federal employees accepted a buyout offer from the 

Trump Administration early in Trump's current term.

Many thousands more were shown the door in lawful 

"reductions in force" with the reorganizations of agencies.

Trump recently proposed a 2027 federal budget that would 

greatly reduce non-defense discretionary spending.

This is all on the plus side of Trump's government overhaul.

However, the derivative savings would be swallowed up by 

the large-scale yet much needed defense expenditures which

are also proposed by the president. And Trump will have to 

address the matter of Medicare and Social Security and their

roles in driving gaping deficits. But seeing Trump's performance

so far your confident Peasant believes that he will find a way to

bring long-term revenues and total spending into harmony and 

balance. A challenging job to be sure, but President Trump 

has so far accomplished things that past presidents have either 

failed to do or wouldn't try to do. Stay tuned.

MEM                                         

A Horndog is Brought Down

Democrat Representative Eric Swalwell was the front-runner 

in the California gubernatorial race but very recently and 

suddenly dropped out and resigned from the House of Repre-

sentatives. He was considered a "golden boy" by many in the

California Democrat Party, especially by the Hollywood

tinsel crowd. So what happened? 

The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN (!!) published shocking

stories alleging that Swalwell had been preying serially on 

female staffers for a decade or more, with one accusing the

married father of sexual assault and another woman accused

Swalwell of assaulting her too. Although Swalwell denied 

the allegations, 21 members of Congress and most of the 

major unions involved in California politics who had been

in his corner with their support dropped Swalwell like a 

bad habit. Few of them showed any surprise at the news

regarding Swalwell, or at least they made like they were

surprised. In addition, one journalist after another along

with one insider after another stepped forward to claim 

that they, along with "everyone else", knew about 

Swalwell's piggery. They did, however, choose to hide this

knowledge for many years and would have continued to 

do so had the truth about Swalwell not come out. Such 

cowardice.

And shall we also make mention of Swalwell's affair with 

a Chinese spy whose name happened to be "Fang Fang"?

Swalwell allegedly enjoyed doing "Bang Bang" with

Fang Fang. 

It has been said that there is no honor among thieves; 

your observant Peasant would add that there is no 

honor among elitists in or tied to government either.

MEM

A Memorial Day Sign of Respect and Appreciation

Your indebted Peasant, just one American of many who owe

so much to the Americans who fought and died for our country

and for what it stands for going on 250 years, has 

an idea for the observation of this hallowed day. 

At 3:00 PM, whichever time zone you happen to be in at that 

particular time, observe the National Moment of Remembrance

which is a quiet minute set aside to pause for the duration to 

remember those who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice in 

military service to the United States. 

This is a seemingly small but hugely important and most 

respectful thing to do on Memorial Day to demonstrate a 

sign of acknowledgement of the meaning of the day. 

This is something that your caught-unaware Peasant just

recently learned, and I shall be engaging in this special act

this Memorial Day and every year going forward.

Many died so we could live free.

Freedom isn't free; freedom costs. But freedom isn't a luxury,

it's a necessity.

Thank you for your time and attention. I am most grateful.

MEM

The Latest With Judge Dugan

Judge Hannah Dugan's trial is drawing to a close 

with her sentencing date set for June 3. She was

found guilty of felony obstruction of federal 

immigration agents, which was the consequence 

of her illegal actions in the matter. Dugan was

acquitted, though, of a misdemeanor charge of

concealing a criminal. 

Dugan resigned her position from the bench on

January 3, 2026, following mounting impeachment

efforts, and in order to not forfeit her pension. 

Now a felon, her conviction carries a maximum

five-year prison sentence along with a $350,000

fine. However, federal guidelines for a 

non-violent, first time offender generally result

in probation. Yet Dugan, as a felon, can never 

again serve as a judge on any court.

The Peasant in the meantime found out that the

former judge and a friend of over fifty years 

had unfriended me on Facebook; she likely

had read my previous posts regarding her 

legal difficulties, and even though I tried not

to be too harsh on her Dugan decided to end 

our longtime friendship altogether. All I have 

left to say in parting with ex-Judge Dugan is 

wayward friend, go in peace. 

Such is justice. Such is consequence. Such is life.

MEM

Power to the Workers!

No, your steadfast Peasant isn't going left-o; I am merely

pointing out that workers in labor unions are breaking loose

from the tight grip of political control and dominance that

their unions have held for many years over them. The unions

feeling the crunch include the SEIU, AFSCME and the teachers' 

unions. 

Several states are bringing these reforms about. Idaho Gov.

Brad Little recently signed a bill that will do away with  

taxpayer support for teachers' unions, 

most notably the Idaho Education Association.

The legislation is designed to prevent school districts from 

collecting dues directly from teachers' paychecks and limit 

unions' ability to recruit members during school hours.

Furthermore, it will end the practice of giving teachers 

time off for "union activities", such as working on the 

campaigns of candidates for office, soliciting union membership,

or joining union protests or promoting advocacy for unions.

The teachers unions' political spending greatly favors Democrats

and don't the left-wingers know it; they also know unions can get 

their members out to political events and to the polls for 

elections on little notice. The reform legislation will stop

school districts from sharing teachers' personal information 

unless authorized by the teachers themselves. 

Arizona is working on crafting a proposed constitutional 

amendment which would do what Idaho's reform legislation 

would do; prevent school districts from collecting union

dues through a payroll deduction. The bill must first be 

adopted by the Legislature in order to make it onto the 

November ballot, would also ban teacher strikes as well as

to require unions to distribute communications (pamphlets

and such) off school property. 

In Oklahoma, bills making their way through that state's 

legislature would allow school school employees to cancel

their union membership anytime. Unions would also be 

prevented from limiting an employee's "right to terminate

his or her membership only during certain dates or by using

specific forms." Additionally, the unions may not force an

employee to "disclose the reason for his or her membership

termination." So union members can resign from their union

at any time, without filling out specific forms or waiting for 

specific dates to leave, and don't have to give a reason for 

ending their union membership. Sounds quite reasonable.

Why can't union membership be "at-will", just as employment

itself? If someone is no longer happy in a job, then one can 

resign. If someone is unhappy with being in their union,

why can't they resign from that?

Florida has gotten into the spirit of reform with a bill which 

would require 50% of a union's members to participate in

a recertification election and then a majority of the partici-

pants to vote in favor of recertifying. If they are dissatisfied

with a union and its representation, they can then opt out and

either be non-union or join another union. Freedom of choice

in the workplace. Democracy in action. Unions and Democrats

are supposedly big on these two things; why are they so reluc-

tant to give them to union members? Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)

signed the bill last week.

These state reforms can prevent more states from becoming 

like Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and California, where

unions hold such sway that taxpayers in those states are

forced to pay ever-increasing taxes to benefit the unions 

or to escape to states where the unions' powers are kept in 

check, with the effects evident each year on April 15.

And workers will have more freedom in the form of more 

control over their jobs and the terms of their union 

representation. Who could be against that?

MEM

Edward H. Crane, R.I.P.

Edward H. Crane was a true champion of freedom.

Political, economic, educational, expression and more. 

In 1974, he became chairman of the Libertarian National

Committee and in this capacity shaped the identity of the 

Libertarian Party, the third-largest political party in the 

United States. Three years later Crane left this post to 

found the Cato Institute alongside Charles Kock and 

Murray Rothbard. Crane was Cato's president from 

1977 until 2012, along the way transforming the Institute

into one of the world's most influential think tanks.

Edward Crane was absolutely indefatigable. He now has 

gone to his well-deserved eternal rest at 81. 

R.I.P.

The Peasant is dedicating his 900th post to honoring 

this friend of freedom. 

MEM

One More Thing re: The Recent Wisconsin Spring Elections

Among the lessons to be learned from the painful defeat

in Wisconsin's recent elections that Republicans and 

conservatives of all stripes must heed are:

1) We must always remember that our true enemy is 

     the Democrat party, with their candidates and their 

     planks in their party platform; NOT each other.

2) Fundraising is vitally important to our candidates' 

    campaigns and their chances for victory. Campaign 

    donations are the mother's milk of electoral success.

    We must keep on reminding our longtime campaign

    donors of the other side relentlessly raising out-of-state 

    money which is giving them not just an edge, but a 

    gaping chasm. Furthermore, we should look for new 

    donors, both well-to-do and those with more modest

    means. Some elections in other states have been won 

    with many modest campaign contributions from 

    the latter group of voters; the "Widow's Mite"

    has might!

3) Campaigns are largely fought on the battlefield of

    ideas, contrasting ideas, and public opinion. These

    battles should NOT be fought like a boxing match

    under the Marquis of Queensbury rules. We must

    fight with ferocity for what we stand for, for what

    we represent! Let's get in the trenches and blast it 

    out with our foe!

4) On both the primary and general election days,

     we must get out of our comfy chairs, put on our 

     hats and coats, and go to our polling precincts to

     vote. As I have said before, if you choose not to

     vote you still have voted. You will have helped 

     opposition to win. That is exactly what happened 

     a few weeks ago. So it ultimately comes down 

     to this: Vote! Vote! VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    There it is, my fellow Wisconsin Righties,

    from the state GOP bigwigs to the candidates

    to the campaign team staff, both volunteers and

    salaried, to the voters who make up our conservative

    electorate.

    Get it? Got it? Good!

   

     MEM

    

This Defeat Had a Thousand Fathers

The very recent Spring elections here in Wisconsin was, once again,

an unmitigated disaster for conservatives, particularly in the race for

the seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court held by the retiring Justice

Rebecca Bradley, one of three remaining conservative justices who 

will be replaced by newly-elected liberal judge Christine Taylor, who

will be sworn in on August 1. The post mortem reveals many steps

which should have been taken to clinch the victory, and many 

missteps which should not have been taken so as to avoid defeat.

Let's swallow hard and review:

Judge Maria Lazar, the opposing candidate, has a fine background as 

a circuit judge in Waukesha County and as a judge on the Wisconsin

Court of Appeals. A conservative jurist, she ran in the recent election

stating that she would follow the state constitution and interpret the 

law thus, but said little else about her judicial philosophy. Meanwhile,

Judge Taylor opened up as to what her goals on the bench would be,

harkening back to her days as a state legislature where she supported

bills to strengthen abortion rights, gun control and unions (you just 

KNOW she would vote to strike down Act 10 as a justice on the state's

high court!). Conservative voters wanted Judge Lazar to be a bit more 

forthcoming on what they could expect from her rather than hear the 

kind of campaign rhetoric one would hear from a high school class 

council candidate. 

Judge Taylor received a lot of monetary donations from wealthy lefty

interests outside of Wisconsin, which enabled her campaign to buy 

more media space in print, on the airwaves, and online. Team Lazar 

was outraised and therefore outspent by Team Taylor, and by a gigantic

margin. Wealthy conservatives were, on the whole, rather hesitant to

give money to the Lazar effort, and based their reluctance on Judge 

Lazar to elucidate more on her ideas concerning her views as related

to her judicial temperament. Who wants to buy a pig in a poke?

However, in fairness to Judge Lazar, she wasn't her own worst enemy;

not at all. Her team made weak messaging, did lackadaisical fund-

raising, and a Wisconsin Republican Party infrastructure which is both

behind the times and the 8-ball, not keeping pace with the Democrats

in the shifting how-tos and wherefores of campaigning. Adding to this,

few of the state bigwigs argued and fueded amongst themselves, 

fighting each other rather than fighting the Democrat-backed enemy; 

this a long-standing problem for the state GOP which has cost the 

party past elections, the infamous circular firing squad. Defeat 

usually is an orphan, but this defeat had a thousand fathers. 

Also, there is a thing called "The billionaire loophole" in which wealthy

donors could, rather than give limited amounts of money to candidates,

give much greater sums of money in donations to the parties of the 

donations for which there are no limits imposed by campaign laws.

Do you know who gave us this loophole? The Republicans! In 2015

the GOP-controlled legislature and then-Gov. Scott Walker passed 

Act 117, doing away with aggregate contribution limits, doubling  

campaign candidate limits, and giving the OK to unlimited transfers

from parties to candidates. A funnel-down way of filling campaign

coffers. Did they not think that the Democrats might, just MIGHT, 

avail themselves of this then-new rule? 

Additionally, the state GOP big shots failed to craft a message to make  

it look worthwhile for conservative voters around the state to come out 

to vote for the GOP candidates in the races. The electorate had many

who didn't vote, not feeling any motivation to vote, going back to the 

weak messaging by the party. There was little resonating with the 

voters and a low turnout was the consequence. Furthermore, the low 

turnout hurt Republicans and Republican-backed candidates in their 

elections, some of them losing races that they otherwise would have  

won. If one chooses not to vote, then one has already voted. 

The Wisconsin Republican Party is its own worst enemy. It should stop,

take stock of itself, and make note of all what it must do in order to get

back on the winning track and regain the ground it lost in recent 

elections. Otherwise, Wisconsin will become a tax-and-red tape, 

crime-ridden hellhole like Illinois, New York, and California, 

for Democrats will have taken over Wisconsin like they have these 

other states and good luck with getting our state back. We conser- 

vatives and Republicans have to win back control of the state GOP,

win back the seats in government, especially the state's highest court,

and with alacrity.

 

We can do it, but time is a dwindling commodity, and the hourglass  

sands are running out.

MEM

 

Re: The Upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

As tomorrow is Election Day here in Wisconsin,

here is some final information on the two candidates

for the seat opening up on the state's high court.

This is a list of facts re: each of the 

candidates.

WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT

Endorsements

Chris Taylor is endorsed by the current liberal majority 

members on the State Supreme Court of Wisconsin:

*Rebecca Dallet 

*Janet Protasiewicz

*Jill Karofsky

*Susan Crawford

Maria Lazar is endorsed by the following conservatives:

*Former Governor Scott Walker

*U.S. Representative Glen Grothman

*Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly

Experience

*Judge Taylor was Attorney and Policy Director, 

  Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin

*Taylor was also a member of the State Assembly

*Was a Dane County Circuit Judge

*Is currently on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals

*Judge Lazar was Corporate Attorney, 

  Galanis, Pollack, Jacobs and Johnson

*Was Assistant Attorney General during Former Governor

  Scott Walker's administration

*Was Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge

*Is currently on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals

On Abortion

*Judge Taylor worked for Planner Parenthood of Wisconsin before 

 she began her judicial work. Taylor advocated for health care

 access and for less limitation on abortion availability. 

*Judge Lazar, as assistant attorney general, argued against Planned 

  Parenthood to limit access to abortions in Wisconsin. 

 

On the Environment

*Judge Taylor, as a state legislator, pushed for legislation to reduce

  lead in water, improve water testing, and bring Wisconsin into

  alignment with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

  practice.

*Judge Lazar ruled that PFAS, "widely used, long lasting chemicals,"

  cannot "be regulated under Wisconsin's spill laws," ruling in favor

  of the Wisconsin State Manufacturers and Commerce.

The Peasant wishes to thank the Spring 2026 Non-Partisan Voter 

Guide for the Wisconsin Supreme Court for supplying this important 

information about the candidates for the contested seat on the state's 

high court.

One final item from the Peasant: If you, my fellow Wisconsin 

conservatives haven't voted during the early voting period, 

come out to your polling precincts tomorrow to participate 

in this vitally important election. VOTE!

MEM

Easter Greetings From The Peasant

To all my wonderful and cherished readers, 

your appreciative and faithful Peasant wishes 

all of you a Happy Easter and all the joys of 

the day! You are my presents at Easter and 

always!

MEM

A Word for My Fellow Badger Staters: VOTE!!!

A word of great import to Wisconsin conservatives

concerning the election on Tuesday, April 7:

The April 7 election is crucial for our state, with 

the effects from its results to be with us for quite 

some time to come. With the Wisconsin State 

Supreme Court currently at a 4-3 liberal advantage

and conservative justice Rebecca Bradley retiring, 

and a left-wing judge who would make perhaps the

most politically left-leaning justice ever to be on the

state's highest court running, fueled by record-setting

campaign contributions from wealthy liberals on both

the east and west coasts, Wisconsin Appeals Court 

Judge Christine Taylor will face Judge Maria Lazar, 

also an Appeals Court judge and a solidly conservative

jurist in the rapidly approaching election. A few items

of note: Judge Lazar is far behind in raising funds for 

her efforts while Lazar is rolling in the green. 

Personally, your fair-play supporting Peasant detests 

out of state fund contributions to candidates for local

and statewide offices, and this sort of strategy has been

integral to the success of Democrat and independent 

left-wingers in Wisconsin elections, but as there is no 

law against it then our side has to engage in same to 

some degree. 

But what has hurt conservative candidates the most in

some of these elections, particularly those for our 

state's high court, has been the failure of many conservative

voters sitting out those elections because of reasons ranging

from "President Trump/a Trump-endorsed candidate isn't 

on the ballot" to "I don't pay much or any attention to any

of the (non-national) off-year elections". To think that if we

had healthy turnouts like we did when Scott Walker ran for 

governor and when Donald Trump ran for the presidency

we could still have had a 5-2 conservative edge on the highest

court in the state! 

If Judge Taylor were to get on the court we would be saying 

goodbye to Gov. Walker's Act 10, which had cut the influence

of labor unions in the funding of public works and other state 

departments which has all this while been keeping taxes at

reasonable, easier-to-handle levels for Wisconsin taxpayers,

not just the upper-level earners but the middle-class earners

as well. We would furthermore be bidding state government's

meddling in parents' rights to get the counselling and the 

treatments they deem necessary for their sexually-confused 

children (boys thinking they are girls and vice-versa). 

This last concern also affects school athletics, mandating that

boys who think they are girls play on the girl's teams, never mind

that they have greater musculature and strength which could

seriously injure female athletes. In addition, such boys would be

allowed by mandate to be able to use the girl's rest rooms.

Your faithful Peasant could give many more such reasons as well

as reasons pertaining to other subjects of concern but for the 

lack of time and room to accommodate them.

Judge Lazar has stated many times in her campaign that she would 

be an interpreter of the law, rather than a legislator on the bench.

She also has a track record of pro-life rulings on abortion-related

cases while on the appellate court. Finally, Judge Lazar is no fan 

of allowing governmental units create red tape which would ensnare 

businesses, making difficulties for them to expand and to create more 

jobs. Wisconsin would resemble our neighboring states such as 

Illinois and Minnesota, which have solidly liberal governments

and a veritable lock on their states, causing many residents and some

businesses to flee to lower- and fewer-taxed states such as Florida 

and Texas. This would erode the state's tax base, making it harder

for Democrat governments to collect the tax revenue that they

would need for their programs and plans.

And what about backing for local police forces? Your frightful Peasant

Shudders to think about the consequences. Especially with our State 

Supremes being elected to ten-year terms. 

But all this could be avoided with our more fair and manageable costs 

of governance and its effects on the cost of living in Wisconsin, along

with fairer business regulations and certainly fairer criminal justice 

laws and support for our law enforcement people remaining intact 

and safe from the whims of a liberal state supreme court. But this 

won't happen if we all don't do one simple, painless thing which 

would be needed to preserve these benefits of living in Wisconsin;

We all must vote. Vote like our future as a state and as individual 

citizens depend on it, because they do. If you don't vote, you still 

will have voted, for if you choose not to decide at your polls you

still have chosen. 

Don't let the other side win by forfeit. One simple, easy act will keep

them at bay, and we will keep our great way of life: 

VOTE! DAMMIT, VOTE!

MEM

 

I'm Glad I Don't Have a Tooth With That Nerve ...

In the state of New York there has been, and still is, a mass

exodus of high earners leaving for states with much lower 

tax rates, and fewer taxes as well. Income taxes, sales taxes,

taxes for this, that, and the other have gone on a rocket ride

in recent years. In that period of time these financially 

successful people, wanting to protect their considerable fruits

of their industry, have spoken out against the state government

of New York railing against their frequently being assessed 

more and higher taxes; after all, they had worked long and 

hard to amass their rewards of their work. 

Katherine Hochul has been governor of New York in recent 

years, and has targeted these industrious citizens of this state

unrelentingly. Her response to these fed up businesspeople?

"Just jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you 

belong, OK? Get out of town!" Florida is also a very low-tax

state. and in fact has no state income tax. The exodus, already

underway, had picked up steam in the wake of her arrogant 

words. So many big earners have fled the Empire State for

Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and other states 

with less rapacious taxation of individuals and businesses

that Gov. Hochul can no longer fund her state's social programs

as easily as she once could. "Maybe the first step should be to 

go down to Palm Beach and see who you could bring back home (!)."

It's hard, of course, to find what Gov. Hochul calls "patriotic

millionaires" who would return to New York to once again pay

the costs for the burgeoning social giveaway social programs

there (!!). 

Now folks, I have been a follower of our political scene for sixty

years --- man and boy. I have followed the news about the political

movers and shakers at all levels of government. I met some of 

these people, from school board members to a Vice President of

the United States. I have read about some eyebrow-raising, and to

be sure, some blood pressure-increasing things that some of these 

people have said or done. I have seen acts and have read and heard 

words of sheer arrogance, thoughtlessness, stupidity, cowardice,

double-dealing, hypocrisy, and vapidity. But what Gov. Hochul 

had said to the wealthy escapees, especially the pleading for them

to return to New York, wallets open, to "patriotically" give up a

large portion of their rightful earnings to fund her giveaway programs

is the all-time prize winner! How would you, my grand readers, each 

like to have a tooth with her nerve?

Must we now go over what the differences are between successful folk 

keeping more of their hard-earned rewards of their hard work, and a

greedy, grasping, grabbing, gobbling government which claims to 

know how best to allocate the tax revenue which comes in at an 

ever-increasing flow every year? The efficiencies of the former in 

job creation and career opportunities, and the resultant creation of 

new sources of revenue from an increase of employment and in 

the provision of goods and services, and a stagnated economy in 

which there are fewer employers and employees resulting in 

less goods and services provided while the government picks up 

more and more employees whose pay and benefits come from the 

tax revenues from the private sector despite its shrunken state and 

weakened shape, causing a slowing economic state of being all around?

These are things which half-wit Hochul has either forgotten or has 

never learned.

And her warping the meaning of the word "patriotic" to fit her selfish, 

short-sightened ends aren't aiding her sorry cause. She should learn  

what it means to be truly patriotic. Your helpful Peasant can assist 

Hochul here:

"Patriotism: The feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to 

one's country or state. This attachment can be a combination of dif- 

ferent feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and 

its cultural, political, or historical aspects."      Wikipedia

Notice that there is no mention of the urge to let the government take 

a significant portion of one's earnings. Furthermore, bear in mind that 

the top 1% of income earners already pay anywhere from 40% - 50%  

of the federal income taxes; they don't need to be mugged again by 

their home states. 

Finally, if anyone actually believes that the love or devotion 

for one's country or state includes wanting to let its government tax 

one into oblivion is a form of patriotism then that person is a prize fool!

MEM

 

Another Cluster of Events!

You're going to be quite sore at me for this, but I am not 

going to be able to get together with you this week or next. 

Among the things claiming space on my schedule are

some friends and one family member, all from Ireland,

coming in and of course we're going to get together. 

We see each other every one or two years, which is 

come to town on tour to play; they are the High Kings 

and we're closely knit, having known each other 

for years.  

I'm also attending a memorial service for a friend 

who was a well-known member of our Greater Celtic

Community, being a musician in a local band that plays

Irish and other Celtic world music, and another friend

who was a fellow parishioner at my church who was

fatally injured in a car accident. I also have some 

medical appointments which will make sure that I

will not yet have my memorial service! No, I kid 

about that last bit, I have the medical appointments

but of late my doctors have given me some good 

reports on the state of my physical health. Now if I 

could just lose some weight ... but I'm grateful for the 

news that I shall be around for quite some time to come.

Furthermore, I shall be celebrating Saint Patrick's Day

at my favorite Irish pub, O'Donoghue's, in nearby Elm Grove

with more friends, including the proprietor Jamie O'Donoghue

who with his family runs the pub. Also, I'll be attending 

a meeting of the debate club I belong to, the Anti-Echo Chamber.

I will, of course, be busy preparing my argument regarding a

political topic. I never hurry with them; I always take my time

so as to craft my argument thoroughly and carefully, adding 

pertinent points and presenting them in a clear, sharp, and 

forceful manner. I'm having a ball with my fellow debaters,

and I only wish I could have gotten into debating sooner 

in life, but I don't mind being a 68-year-old rookie debater

and am enjoying every minute of it.

Tax time is here too, and The Peasant shall get together with 

my tax preparer and accountant, a good friend and fellow 

parishioner at my church.

Finally, I want to grab some time before it escapes me so I can 

write some letters to some family members and friends which I

have put off for far too long. So I have a full plate, as you all 

can see. But fear not, as your faithful Peasant shall be with you

again by around the end of this month of March. Thank you all 

for your patience, your understanding, and your kind indulgence.

I'll make it worth your while!

MEM